The NFL Combine takes place this week, and the skill players are up Thursday.
If you didn't think we were going to pick over/unders on how fast prospects can run in a straight line or how many times they can bench two plates, you were sorely mistaken.
Here are my top plays, courtesy of the good folks at PrizePicks.
40-Yard Dash Best Bets
WR Wan'Dale Robinson Over/Under 4.45
Robinson stepped onto Kentucky's campus last season, and the only plausible thought the coaching staff could have drummed up is, "Well, you're faster than pretty much everyone on our team; let's just throw you the ball as quick as possible, and then you can just go gain a bunch of yards."
The Nebraska transfer led the 2022 class in target rate at or behind the line of scrimmage (33.6%), and on frequent occasions, snagged a couple of souls in the open field.
Wan'Dale Robinson forced 22 missed tackles after the catch in 2021…
Most in a season by an SEC WR since 2019 😳pic.twitter.com/EhelQVOaOK
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) February 24, 2022
Not that they need it but it would be really fun to see Wan’Dale Robinson reunite with Liam Cohen on the Rams. Cohen did such a great job utilizing Robinson’s ability in space and downfield speed. Any team looking for a dynamic move piece will love this guy. pic.twitter.com/yNQd32vbCb
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) February 24, 2022
Candidly speaking, Robinson getting chased down at the one-yard line in both videos — much less to 1-9 New Mexico State?! — is pretty awful support for this argument, but the straight-line speed is simply effortless.
Robinson once clocked a 4.22 40, which ultimately earned him a scholarship to Alabama out of high school.
For someone with a couple of question marks — he's on the shorter side height-wise and played at Kentucky, aka the anti-WRU — the burners are key to boosting draft stock.
University of Kentucky WR Wan’Dale Robinson said he cut his hair in preparation for the combine in hopes it would make him more “aerodynamic” and could help him test better in the 40 yard dash, 3 cone, and shuttle test. #NFLCombine#NFLpic.twitter.com/kPutGim2a9
— NFL_TIJ ✈️ (Wan’Dale #1fan) (@NFL_TIJ) March 2, 2022
Haircut Glitch: Works every time.
Pick: Under 4.44
TE Jake Ferguson Over/Under 4.76
Jake Ferguson: Good tight end! The recently-fired Bears regime is already fuming that it can't draft him.
Remembering this TD send from Desmond Ridder to Jake Ferguson ♨️@seniorbowlpic.twitter.com/ktfih5rXkF
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) February 7, 2022
Ferguson was excellent at Wisconsin, though not splashy. His workout numbers were great and there's proof in the pudding on film, as he consistently came down with contested targets.
The only real downside is he's not entirely fast at a position that requires a little more speed than it once did.
Ferguson's sound across the board. He can block, he caught 30 or more passes in every season at Wisconsin, and he's uber-athletic with a knack for using his body to fend off defenders.
He may very well be Rob Gronkowski at the next level. But right now he's Rob Gronkowski with 10-pound ankle weights.
Pick: Over 4.76
Bench Press Best Bets
WR George Pickens Over/Under 13.5 Reps
Take it for what it's worth, but Pickens is long. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing as a receiver, especially when you can extend like this.
The combine will be a great test for George Pickens, as he’s still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the spring. If he stays healthy, he has superstar potential. pic.twitter.com/424a3ENZSh
— uSTADIUM App (@uSTADIUM) February 24, 2022
But take it from someone who doesn't skip Mondays — AKA chest day — at the local L.A. Fitness: Getting 225 up and down 14 times ain't easy when you've got the wingspan of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Pickens is no slouch at 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds, but I simply and bluntly don't think he can bench two plates 14 times.
Also, new rule for next year: If you're going under on a player's bench press reps, you are required to travel to the Combine, look that player directly in the face before they're up, point at the bar, and say, "I bet you can't bench that 14 times in a row."
